September Went By in a Flash

Ok, you guys.

I know that time is FAST, but September seriously disappeared before my eyes.

How thankful I am that I get to sit down for a minute or two and look back over this month and all that it held!

The first Friday of September it was Blake and my turn for a date night!

Remember the date night swap idea I told you all about HERE?

I dropped off Tate and Eliza to Kayla late Friday afternoon so that I could meet Blake in town for our date!

IT WAS FABULOUS!!

I think the more effort we put into things like this make the things even better, am I right?

Of course Tate and Eliza were thrilled to be able to be at their big sissy’s house with their best friends!

Blake and I enjoyed dinner together, shopping, and even the sunset on the river.

Sigh. I can’t wait until next time!


The Monday morning after we arrived home from camp, we took the day off school and did ALL the things to get ready to be back to full-time life!

Like taking a proper shower in a large brightly lit space, ha, ha.

Does anybody else LOVE coming home even though you love being away too?

That’s me.


I did about 16 loads of laundry that day, we got the house in shape, enjoyed the fall like temperatures, took care of our animals (we missed them so much!), cleaned fridges and eggs and children and…..

Well, you get the idea!

I also ran to the local Co-op to get a few things to try to stretch our grocery until that Friday.

A few things that cost $100, ahem.

And we all rested in the afternoon!

Much needed, even for my two favorite pups, obviously!

I was so happy to be back in my kitchen that I made cookies that afternoon too.

Addie said “Oh good, Mom is making her famous amazing chocolate chip cookies!”

So I am blaming the fact that they did not turn out at all on her, ha, ha!


Tuesday morning after camp, I was ready to get back at it!

We started with our family breakfast and a new recipe of pumpkin spice waffles.

My husband basically said I could make those waffles for every meal from here on out – he loved them so much!

Tate did not eat his breakfast that morning, and it didn’t take long for me to stick my hand on his forehead wondering why he did not look so good.

Sure enough, he was running a fever and feeling yucky!

Poor guy!

I got out everything I could think of to help Tate get well and to also help the rest of us to stay healthy.

Wednesday morning Tate’s fever was hotter, and he said his throat was hurting so bad.

I looked in Tate’s throat and saw that it was very red and had blisters.

That gave Mr. Tate an appointment with our favorite doctor (we love Dr. Katie!!) to see if he had strep throat.

Long story short, Tate ended up on an antibiotic because of his throat and also because of how his lungs sounded.

He has never had an antibiotic since he has been home from China, and he reacted to it with hives.

We got a second one, and he reacted to it (on the seventh day!) with hives as well.

You are freaking your mama out, Tate Owen!

Thankfully he did not seem to need anymore help with antibiotics for now – but we will have to figure all of this out if he ever needs them again!

It took Tate awhile to feel better.

I would see him on his feet and think “Yay!”, but then pretty soon he would be wrapped up in a blanket again and sound asleep somewhere.

SO thankful he is better now!


Tate’s illness gave the rest of us a quieter week, and gave Eliza the opportunity to truly know that flexibility is the key to success!

She was unable to do much school that week because I teach Tate and Eliza together, but she was very diligent in finding good things to do with her time.

Lane continued on with school, of course, since he is mostly self-directed.


Blake helped while Tate was sick so I could still get Lane to his orthodontist appointment.

He is doing so great with his Invisalign!

We got to see a computer aided visual of how much Lane’s teeth have already moved so far.

It was so neat to see that!

I have always appreciated the positive atmosphere at our orthodontist – even their bathrooms reminding everyone to have a grateful heart.


I headed after the big grocery haul on Thursday night of that week, because that $100 bit of grocery I had bought to stretch everything did not work so well!

Blake met me there after he left work and got there just as I started checking out.

I was super glad for the help loading the van!!

Someday when I am just buying grocery for Blake and I, I am going to look back on these photos and wonder why in the world we needed so much food, ha, ha.


Blake left the next morning to head to Illinois for three days.

I was supposed to go along, but was not comfortable leaving Tate.

We got after life here at home while Blake was away, but missed him like crazy!


We had a huge storm that Saturday afternoon.

I am so glad I had the kiddos run down and shut the barn when I saw this sky!

It cleared off after that and was beautiful the next day too.

We stayed home from church on Sunday to keep any germs here, and watched the live stream from home.


Blake got home late that Sunday night, and Monday morning started off back to the races!

Our family breakfast is always a BRIGHT start to our days here during the week!

I had made this French toast bake on Sunday to bake on Monday morning and it was a HIT!


I do not sleep well when my hubby is away – and by do not sleep well, I mean I do not sleep hardly at all.

So, that’s fun!

Monday piano lessons looked like this for me – I thought I would just lay there and pay attention – but I am pretty sure I slept through the whole thing, good grief!

At least I had a cuddly pup who clearly doesn’t get enough sleep either, even though she sleeps all day and all night – everyday!


The kiddos are doing Spanish (Lane and Eliza) and French (Tate) lessons this year and are enjoying them very much!


After school on Monday, we headed outside.

We know these days are fleeting!!

We have lived in Wisconsin for 22 years now, and we know what is coming!


Sure enough, Tuesday was rainy and made me extra glad we get outside when we can.

That rain got me in a comfort foods mood, and I made soup, rolls, and sourdough cobbler for dinner that day.

My rolls all ran together!

But they still got rave reviews.


It cleared off by that evening and gave us some beautiful skies!

How I love a beautiful sky.

The kids know exactly what I am doing when I am running outside at sunset!

We all stood on the driveway that night looking at the stars.

Just look at them ALL!!

It was SO beautiful!!


Wednesday brought more school work, our art class, the assembly of something fun I bought for our long winters here, and a visit to our favorite people late in the afternoon!

The lattes are good at the farm (the baby is adorable!) and so are the excited squeals my grands make when they see us arrive there!

The colors on the way to Kayla’s that day were SPECTACULAR, but very hard to capture in the misty rain with just a cell phone.

I am so glad I had made dinner in the morning that day so we could stay at Kayla’s as long as possible!

The rain cleared off again that day too, and gave us another beautiful evening sky.

I am here to tell you, stopping to take in the daily beauty of the sky can fuel you!

Like nothing else can!


I will tell you about the second to last weekend of September in the next post – so stayed tuned for that!!

That following week though was more of the same!

We are very predictable people that way.

Keeping school running, the food flowing, and the house in good shape – not necessary always in that order – is MY THING.

Good thing I love my homemaker, wife, teacher, and Mom titles SO, so much!


We had some outings that week as well – like haircuts and library visits.

We always each take a book to read while the boys get their haircuts!


Pretty soon it was the last Friday of September.

You know what that means!

I think Fridays should be renamed “marathon day”.

Ha, ha, ha.

I will miss them some day!!!

At least this Friday we enjoyed Blake’s early arrival home – so we played some four square with the kids before heading to town for a little quick date just the two of us!

I grabbed a picture of the sunset as we headed to town that evening.

Daylight is also fleeting!

I started the day in town in the dark and ended that day in town in the dark.

SEE?? It is a marathon day.


I have a very vivid memory of the last day of September!

It was a Saturday.

It started early, as they all do, and after a big family breakfast, Lane and I headed to the library.

He was working that morning, and I was the parent volunteer.

Then I came home and worked in the kitchen the rest of the day on a delicious taco spread for dinner and food for meal day at church the next day.

After dinner we took advantage of the beautiful weather and headed outside for a camp fire.

The kiddos – even some adult ones – played a routy and very long game of The Wolf is Out, that went well into the dark hours of that night.

We sat by the fire WAY too late, but we just couldn’t not pull ourselves away and back inside!

It was SUCH a great day and evening that day!!

And the weather was so very perfect!!


I have a few food photos to sneak in here for good measure!

I really do enjoy looking back on this little scrapbook of ours, and the food photos always spur me on and inspire me!


I also have a couple of really good “finds” from September to share here.

I share these things on Instagram stories, and they always get lots of conversations going with gals who are interested in them.

Just like I was interested in them and purchased them when I found out about them!!

First is this bug bite relief tool.

We have used it for bee stings and for bug bites and IT WORKS SO GOOD.

You place the tip over the sting or bite and pull back on the handles which then sucks the stinger or bite venom out of the bite.

INSTANT relief!

When a child is stung it takes the tears away instantly too!

I got it on Amazon.

And then I bought eight more.

I have them everywhere and gave a bunch away too!


Next is this brand of hair products – Onesta.

They are super clean, work very well, and I have tried a lot of different clean options!

I even use the whipped wax on the boys hair.

This is the oil serum that I used after straightening my hair to keep it from getting frizzy again.

I really like their mousse and their curly hair products too.

I get all of these products on the Beauty Care Choices website.


I also wanted to share this – it has blessed Chad very much!

He found this lunch box on Amazon.

He drives a truck for a living – a BIG truck – with BIG equipment on a trailer behind that BIG truck.

Those facts are just so you know I pray safety over him (and all my truck guys!) every single day.

Ok – back to this lunch box.

Chad charges it on the counter overnight, puts his lunch in it in the morning, and sets it in his cooler.

Then when he is stopped at a job site and has a minute, he gets it out, turns it on, and it heats his food to very hot in just ten minutes.

It has allowed him to take leftovers for lunch – which is wonderful!

It holds more than it looks like it does.

We highly recommend this lunch box!


Did you all notice?

Are you catching on?

How I snuck quite a few sky photos all throughout that super long post??

You guys, I take a lot of photos of the sky!

My children will always remember this about me, so I guess I want you to remember that about me too!

I only have a few left for you – but they are my signature – and they let you know this super long post is almost over!!


Well, PHEW.

I have worked on this post FOUR times, all on different days, you all!

It has just been so very busy here!

Kayla and I were chatting over Marco polo last week about how I am living the life of a “thirty-something” still schooling these younger children and all that goes with that – and also the life of a “fifty-something” with adult children and grandchildren…..

Not feeling worthy of all that, in case you are wondering!

But so thankful for everything the Lord trusts me with every single day.

He is SO kind to let me live my DREAMS!!

I begged God for this life when Blake and I were young and we struggled to have children.

Thank you, Jesus, for hearing and answering my prayers!!

It IS as good as I thought it would be, and I am so thankful!!

I would say I am going to try to be better about keeping up here in our little space on the world wide web – but I am thinking I say that a lot and you all are not believing that anymore, ha, ha!

I do enjoy this space.

We ALL enjoy looking back at it.

So here’s to my next post about a very fun weekend in September!

Until next time!!

FAMILY CAMP 2023

We made a very last minute decision to attend Family Camp this year!

We had not planned on going for many reasons.

The short story is that the Lord impressed it upon my heart that we were supposed to be there, and He ended up making it happen.

SO thankful we went!!

Everyone had to pitch in to get ready so quickly, especially because of our food needs.

It was a lot of work, but SO worth it!

Blake rented us a camper from the same place we have rented in the past, but they have a new owner AND new campers.

Our camper was the largest one we have ever had, and it was new and SO clean!


We watched the weather closely for camp week once we decided to go.

The weather looked TERRIBLE!!

It was supposed to be so incredibly hot – almost dangerously hot.

The kiddos and I knew what to do!

We started praying about the weather about four times a day.

We knew that God cared about this detail.

The day we headed to camp the temperature was in the high 90’s, but then the Lord answered our prayers and the rest of the week was SO beautiful and in the 70’s!!

Just look at the SKY!!


The BEST part about camp is always the people.

We have dear friends that still attend this camp every year, and it is just the BEST to all come back together for a week!

It is also beyond my dreams come true that David and Kayla bring their family to Family Camp now!

Living next to our favorite people in a camper for a week is so fun!!

We were missing Grant, but Chad was even able to get off of work and join us for Friday through Sunday.

The chapel and sessions were amazing, as always, and I truly enjoyed what Mr. Bowers shared the most.

The children do so well sitting through the sessions!


There are families who share their talents in music each day, which was really special.

Our camper neighbors shared one evening and they were SO talented!

One of my best friends also shared during the mother-daughter time, and she did such a good job.

The evening session would start each night with a game – and Lane got picked to be in it one night!

Do you see him there in the third photo below?


When we were not in chapel or session, we were outside.

Remember that GREAT weather??

We enjoyed SO many activities, but I know our children enjoyed the horses the most!

Tate and Eliza took a lesson one afternoon, and then Blake, Lane, Tate and Eliza all went on a trail ride one afternoon.

There were games on the playground, shooting at the gun range, fishing on the lake, and of course that annual game of Mighty, Mighty Scoop Noodle Challenge!

Lane, Tate and Eliza all said this was the best year of camp that they have ever had!!

And this was our ninth year attending, but our twelfth year if you count the other three years that we visited during camp week!


On Saturday, the last full day that we were there, we all headed to the lake.

It was the perfect temperature to play at the lake that day, but first the guys were racing the cardboard boats that they had built during the father-son time.

They were only given cardboard and duct tape to make their boats out of.

They were in teams, and had to row to the dock across the lake while being timed to see in the end who was the fastest!

Needless to say, our team’s boat did not do so well!

It was super fun to watch and cheer everyone on!!


The rest of that afternoon we stayed at the lake and the kids had A BLAST!!

There was a slide, canoes and kayaks, and a blob that you could get shot off of!

Kayla and I stayed on the beach to keep track of everyone, and I have never counted to seven so many times in my life as I did that day, ha, ha!

Counting heads is my full-time job when we are with our own children and our grandchildren!


Of course you already know that I loved playing house in that beautiful camper!

This was the first year I did not have to climb over sleeping bodies in the dark in the mornings to get ready and have my quiet time.

It was WONDERFUL having all of that space!!

I would rest each afternoon for just 30 minutes or an hour, but this is the first year I did not have children resting with me.

We did, however, bring Tate and Eliza back to the camper close to their regular bedtime each night.

We would get ready for bed and then I would play a game with them and we would all have hot cocoa.

It was super fun!!!


Tate and Eliza and I were the only ones who used the camper bathroom to get ready each day.

Everyone else headed to the lodge to use the newly remodeled beautiful bathrooms there.

It was chilly in the mornings!

I packed a lot of wellness support for the whole family, because 200 people on a camp ground for a week just brings illness whether you like it or not!


The last night of camp there were camp fires, smores and hay rack rides.

It was really fun!

And chilly!!


There were endless special moments at camp – I could never list them all!

Getting to know new people was one of them.

We did help our camper neighbors when their youngest daughter got stung (the bees were SO BAD!).

The next day this note was delivered to our door and it just made my heart so full!

Isn’t this cute??


Kayla delivered lattes to our camper after we were at the lake Saturday afternoon and it was really yummy!

I love that they travel with their espresso machine!!


Eliza got first place in the coloring contest for her age range!

Let me just add that the original color page was just of the people – she added everything else you see there.


Sunday morning chapel, followed by a brunch was the end of our camp week.

We headed home Sunday afternoon – but let me say – NONE of us wanted to leave!

Here is how some of the passengers in my van looked on the way home, which shows what a great week they had!


To say that this week away from the grind of life and being all together was just what we needed doesn’t seem to do what I am trying to convey justice – but those words are true.

The sessions were so encouraging and challenging, being with friends that are like family was so lifegiving, enjoying the fresh air and the outdoors was so good for us physically, and even though we slept less than we ever do at home – the rest was AMAZING.

Blake and I returned that camper together late Sunday evening, and just like that Family Camp 2023 became a memory.


Thank you, Jesus, for letting us be there!!

Thank you, my sweet family, who did not think I was crazy when I said we NEEDED to be there!!

Thank you, Mr. Blake Moschel, for always making my dreams come true, and always doing so with a smile on your face, joy in your heart, and a kiss to the top of my head.

I LOVE YOU MORE, honey!!

And most of all, thank you to everyone who works so tirelessly to make Family Camp what it is.

You bless those of us who are there SO MUCH!!!

Do I dare say I can’t wait until next year??

Well, Lord willing, I CAN’T WAIT UNTIL NEXT YEAR!!!!

Family Camp 2023, you were SO very good to us!

Memories made, and memories tucked very deeply into our hearts!

Food Inspiration from August

Well, hello, if there is anyone reading this little ole blog of ours!

I just took a peek at all of the photos I have of food from August – and now I want to abandon this laptop and run to my kitchen to bake something!!

First, though, I will finish this post, because I like to do this ole blogging thing as well.

I made homemade English muffins one day.

I have made them twice before – and they did not turn out.

The first time they were bricks.

The second time they burned on the bottom.

The third time IS a charm!!

Just LOOK at these!

They were as good as they look!!


Just to set the stage a little bit – I never was a baker until recently.

My big girls did all of the baking, Addie Mae in particular.

Once she was working full-time, I had to figure it out!

I did bake ALL of the time before I was diagnosed with celiac disease 17 years ago.

I made homemade bread, cinnamon rolls, cakes, cookies – you name it.

But gluten-free baking is a whole different thing.

I am SO thankful that the Lord is blessing my efforts!!

I have enjoyed learning to bake!

I am enjoying baking so much!


I also started doing gluten-free sourdough right around the time we started school.

It seemed completely overwhelming at first – but it is not!

It is so simple once you get going.

I am not looking to make sourdough bread because all of the photos I have seen of sourdough gluten-free bread look dense and dry and tough.

We do not eat a lot of bread anyway.

I was wanting to use sourdough in muffins, waffles, pancakes, pizza crust, biscuits, and desserts.

I have done most of those things and they have turned out wonderful!


I usually never eat what I make my three school age children for lunch.

My diet is very limited, and I do not want theirs to be!

Two of my go-to lunches are “snack plates” or a salad.

These things are very filling and nutritious too!

I think sometimes those of us who cannot eat just anything want overthink our meals too much.

It really doesn’t have to be complicated!

There are so many whole foods that are delicious just as God intended them to be!

Another good lunch option is leftovers too.


I have some great packaged foods that I use a lot too.

Packaged foods are limited here, one because they are pricey, but also because gluten-free packaged foods just aren’t very healthy for the most part!

Here are a few of my favorites:


Our dinner meal is my biggest job each day.

I make a menu plan and purchase grocery according to that plan.

Those two things alone make my ability to pull off a big healthy meal each night possible!

It would not be possible to feed this many people the kind of food we can have without a plan.

I enjoy making dinner very much!

And I am thankful for my three helpers who are always in the kitchen with me at that time.


I make breakfast Mondays through Thursdays and most Saturdays as well.

The children eat what they are served those days, but on Fridays and Sundays they can choose and make whatever they like.

Our family breakfast on Monday-Thursday has made this meal more fun for me since Blake is now home with us!


My kitchen work does not end with meals though.

I still spend time making things like chicken stock, snacks, sour cream, whipped cream for coffee, pickles…the list goes on!

And of course there is my bi-monthly trip to get grocery.

I am still thinking doing that every two weeks is working better than every week – and with winter on its way, I bet I keep doing it that way.


I did it!

I finished this post without stopping to eat anything or bake anything, ha, ha!

Do you all like baking and cooking too?

Anybody out there???

I hope you do!!

It’s been a journey like no other for our family through the years due to our health, but I am so thankful for it all!

Food is for our nourishment, but also for our pleasure.

Time to bake something, friends!!

Until next time!

So Long August

I still have some memories from August!!

Let’s get them saved here, shall we?

I am going to save alllllll of my August food photos for another post!

There are A LOT of them – and I like to save them here because they inspire me when I look back at them.

Hopefully they will inspire you too!

Ok- on to other things – like a very quick day trip Blake and I made to Illinois one Sunday near the end of August.

It was a beautiful day for a drive!

We watched the sun rise because of our very early start, and we watched the sun set on our way back home.


Lane’s library job is feeding my love of books!

I read some good ones in the month of August!

I did not check out this first one, but the title grabbed my attention – because YES, what it says is SO true!


The kiddos are always reading too!

I haven’t taken photos of their books – except for the two I am reading aloud to them and one other that Eliza had brought to the boys’ haircut appointments one day.


We also have been reading/reviewing The Five Love Languages book.

It is a good one – and comes with many different twists on it – for children, for spouses etc.

We all took the love languages test on line!

I had everyone pretty much figured out except for two of the boys.

It is very good to know your children’s and spouses love language!

Here are my results.


You know I love any time I get with my adult kiddos – and I am glad we captured these two photos at least!

Addie and I love a good brisk sunset walk!

And when I say brisk, I mean she is walking and I am jogging to keep up with her, ha, ha!


Speaking of my adult kiddos – I am so thankful for this one!!

He and his girlfriend took Eliza and Tate out for a date to ride some horses, go to the animal shelter and have a treat!


Tate, Eliza and I redeemed the garden one afternoon not too long ago while Lane mowed the yard.

It was SO neglected!!!

We are NOT quitters!!!

I had to say that to myself over and over again that afternoon, just so you know!


Our kitchen faucet wore itself out, imagine that!

It felt like a kiss from God when a Menards rebate showed up the VERY day we needed a new faucet.

How cool is that??

We had completely forget about this rebate!


My trio is ever so helpful – and there is nothing better than a crew working together!

Especially in the very busy kitchen!

I get teary eyed thinking back to when it was the big three kids helping in the kitchen non-stop all those years ago – and then the middle two – and now these two!


I always try to take something purposeful to do during Tate and Eliza’s 45 minute piano lesson each day.

On this day I cleaned out our recipe binder.

It was much needed and I got a lot of good recipe ideas at the same time!


We are still enjoying our animals.

ALL of them.

Our chickens dropped off from laying eggs – but we finally figured out we were not feeding them enough!

I weighed their feed one day and OOOOPPPSSS!!!

Starving chickens don’t lay eggs, folks.

Thankful they are laying more again now!

We also got to enjoy two visiting puppies for a week – they were SO fun!!


I have a few school photos from the end of August.

I LOVE school days.

I am sitting here typing this during one right now!


I restocked all of our homemade things that we use everyday.

Homemade cleaning and cosmetic products are SO easy to make and SO much healthier!!

This day I made cleaning scrub, glass cleaner, toothpaste, dairy-free sour cream and hot cocoa mix.

That hot cocoa mix is FANTASTIC, but of course I had to try it the afternoon I made it.

(I have the hot cocoa recipe saved in the recipe tab at the top of this blog, if you are interested!!)


Take a DEEP BREATH, you all!!

Are you ready for some beautiful August sky photos??

It is SO hard to limit them!!

I can remember how I felt as I took them in and took a photo of them.

The beautiful sky fills my heart like NO other.

This first photo is of the moon very early in the morning – at 5:15 a.m.

SO amazing!!

And it was SO BRIGHT!!


Well, August, you were good to us.

What is happening, it is now FALL!

We have had a shift in daylight hours, our schedule, our clothing choices, our food choices….fall is HERE.

So grateful for the seasons.

It is super duper easy to look all around as the seasons change and see God’s mighty handiwork in His creation.

Thank you, Lord, for blessing us with all the beauty around us!!

Ok, you guys – next up is a food post and then I get to tell you about a very last minute vacation we just took!!

Until then, enjoy the beginning of fall!!!